Trowel for digging ferns



Jan. 23, 1951 G. 5. BROWN TROWEL FOR DIGGING FERNS Filed Sept. 17, 1946 "'0 20 20 0IIIIII///// mufii/v TUR GEO/P65 5. 5/?oW/v Patented Jan. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TROWEL FOR DIGGING FERNS George S. Brown, Portland, Oreg.

Application September 17, 1946, Serial No. 697,460

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to the fern industry and particularly to a trowel for digging ferns.

The main object of this invention is to construct a trowel especially adapted for the digging of ferns by means of which ferns may be dug with the least amount of effort and fatigue and with the minimum amount of injury to the foliage and root structure thereof.

I accomplish these objects in a manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the trowel.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner of using the trowel and the purpose of its construction.

Similar numbers refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown an elongated blade l having an arcuate transverse section which extends from the point II to the outer-most end 12 of the shank 13.

The shank I3 is somewhat narrower than is the handle end of the blade I!) and has secured thereto by the means of the screws I4, a handle l preferably of wood and of oval cross section conforming to the shape of the transverse curvature of the blade If]. The handle l5 has a blunt outer end I6 which is normal to the axis of the handle while its end i! is transversely curved and inclined at substantially 45 degrees in relation to the axis of the handle l5, this angle being determined by the natural position of the thumb 18 as the handle is held in the hand l9 of the user.

The blade Ill tapers toward the point II and its edges 20 are sharpened by grinding straight across the faces 2| thereby insuring the easy sharpening and correct angle for the cutting edges.

I am aware than fern digging trowels have been constructed in the past and have long been used in the industry; I therefore do not claim such devices broadly, but I do intend to cover such forms and modifications thereof which fall fairly within the appended claim.

I claim:

A fern trowel having a longitudinally and transversely curved tapering blade, the wide end of said blade having a transversely curved shank formed thereon and a handle fitting into said curved shank characterized by having the end adjacent to the end of the trowel transversely curved and longitudinally inclined with relation to the axis of the handle, the tip of the trowel being in substantial alignment with the side of said handle opposite said shank, said curved blade being sharpened transversely in the same plane along both edges from its pointed end to a spaced distance from the adjacent handle end.

GEORGE S. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 441,135 Cleves Nov. 25, 1890 1,540,284 Reveny June 2, 1925 2,427,369 Ruple l Sept. 16, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,996 Great Britain May 1'7, 1878 

